Sweet dreams (English version)
by MyNameIsBack
Summary: Ten years earlier, it was just an odd and unthinkable dream, but there we are, ten years later, after so much ordeals, Gray learns indeed what family life means. And if he doesn't spare himself fears and worry, Gray discovers another side of his personnality as he has to deal with a quite excited and passionate son -Follows The most loneliest day of my life


Hello dear readers!

I am glad today to present you the first chapter of the second part of my story. This follows in fact "The most loneliest day of my life" (no it's not a mistake, but a quote from the song Lonely Day by System of a down). This chapter may seem different and not related, but I advise you (especially for the next chapters) to start with "The most loneliest day of my life" (which tells the story of Gray "changing his mind" about Juvia thanks to a strange dream and a dreadful event, I let you find out the rest).

Also this is a translation: I'm actually French, and this story is also published in French on my profile (chapter 2 was just uploaded if you speak some French or if you are like me, a French person who cannot just get satisfied with what the French community has to offer).

Also in that sense, there may have some mistakes, but I guess my English isn't so bad so it should be fine! But I'd be very glad if you, English speakers readers could tell me if my writing is right, if that sounds odds sometimes or anything, that would make me improve a lot and I'd be very thankful for that 😊. And I'd be glad too if you told me what you think generally of the storyline.

And now enjoy your reading!

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We got married a few years after that, on a beautiful day of April in front of the whole guild. I'd say I was as embarrassed as moved that day. But above all, I was really happy, whoever in the guild could attest it.

Years after, we got a son, Silver, my greatest pride, my finest treasure. In the past, all of this seemed impossible, yet ten years later, I was indeed the proud father of a five years old kid, eyes bluer than his mom, hair as black as mine.

Everything made sense to me over time. And more than everything, I still keep a keen memory of the day this dream a little crazy I had years prior came true.

I had gone smoking that night. We had moved in little time before, just after our wedding, in a flat near by the canal. I lightened up my cigarette under the glow of the street lamps and the almost full-moon, in the now on empty street.

Cigarette, especially at this time, was some kind of mistress to me. Toxic, that is for sure, but sufficiently enjoyable so that I give myself to its pleasures. I know, the comparison is terrible. Let's say at least that the difference with a mistress was that my wife knew and accepted it. Well, she understood somehow: she didn't like it for all that. She never said anything, but still thought so. Cigarette is really a nasty thing. Even I who manage to drop it from time to time cannot renounce completely having a pack or two nearby. You know, in case of emergency. And I can swear emergency there was this day.

So once the pressure gone down and the town fell asleep, I had sneaked out of our home in the peaceful dark night. I breathed in my first puff. A nice summer breeze went through me as I could hear the light lapping of the water. It appeased me, and I loosened myself.

"**Is everything okay?" **

I nonchalantly turned around. Juvia was facing me, a concerned look on her face. I certainly hadn't been discreet enough, or maybe wasn't she sleeping. She always knew when something was wrong. She always figured me out. "How?" was a pure mystery. I had always been so little expressive…

She was wearing a fine night gown, blue as the sky, and so light that it spun over the wind. Some simple straps were covering her naked shoulders. I lingered nonetheless my cold look on her bandaged right arm, on which we could clearly see a still-bleeding injury. I once again brought to my mouth the cigarette before answering ironically:

"**Fine. Perfectly fine. My wife just almost **_**died**_** today."** Then I glanced at her **"And you? How are you?' **

She didn't answer right away. Her pupils, where the faint light of the street lamps were dancing, were staring at me. Her look swung between regrets and annoyance. She took it lightly. I didn't. This is typically one of the things that annoys me the most about her: her carefreeness. She cares so little of herself, gosh, it's frightening. According to her, I worry too much. But at this very moment, I had all the reasons to be angry.

"**Everything's fine"** She sighed **"It's just a scratch…"**

"**It could have been **_**way **_**worse, and you know that" **I bitingly answered

"**But it hasn't" **

She still fixated me firmly, pitting herself against me.

During our mission, her powers suddenly went off. But Juvia being herself didn't judge the need to worry me and preferred continuing our work. All of this so that in the end she would faint in the middle of a fight against a dark guild.

Her fall somewhat saved her, and the raid against her simply grazed her arm. But a bit longer and she would have bought it. I sighed once again.

"**I don't know what happened"** I said crushing my cigarette **"But you almost died today"** I firmly laid my eyes on her **"Again" **

Her jaw clenched, and I even think she rolled her eyes. Between us two, Juvia had always been the less anxious. Each day was a party she intended to celebrate, and she didn't give much thoughts about any dangers which could threaten her. Actually, she mostly tried not to think about it, to enjoy everything and regret nothing. She would have like that I'd do the same.

I sighed. Angriness worked very little on her. I could scream, she would have done whatever she wanted nonetheless. It always fell on deaf ears. Therefore I decided to calm down, so that she really understood my worry.

"**It's just that… In moments like this, I… I have the feeling we rely too much on luck. We nearly died so many times that I…" **

"**It's our job…" **

"**I know"** I coldly answered **"I know… It doesn't change the fact that I'm scared, every day" **

"**Juvia too…" **

"**Well, it doesn't much look like it!"** I sighed heavily "**You'd worry if it was about me, why don't you do it for yourself?" **

"**Gray-sama doesn't do it for himself either"** She replicated in a severe tone.

She was right. On my side, I had always been reckless, without worrying about putting me in danger. I knew exactly what she was thinking about. She thought about these times when, injured and covered in blood, I still threw myself in the fight. Or about these times when I almost used my Iced Shell. Or even this time when I received for her the dragons' shots and if not for Ultear I would have passed away. Each of these time were a source of worry, anxiety and nightmares. She knew I was inclined to sacrifice, that I often had been, and that if none other solution were in, I wouldn't hesitate. She also got angry on that more than once. But now it wasn't about me. She changed the subject, as always.

"**You know very well what I'm talking about" **

I frowned, but my eyes were begging her. She knew my fears, and watched me so much times waking up in sweat after a nightmare which brought up again her death, my parents', Ur's, or which let me imagine the worse.

She sighed, then came closer, and took my hands with all of the softness she had the secret of.

"**Juvia's fine, Gray doesn't have to worry" **

She called me by my name on purpose, because she knew the effect it had on me. Everyone called me like that, true, but her, not so much. She had kept this habit I used to find stupid to call me "Gray-sama". Actually, she always kept herself the right to simply call me "Gray" when she felt like it: when the discussion would become serious, when she wanted to draw attention, when she'd get angry, or when we loved each other. And it gave me damn shivers, that's true.

She formed a slight smile as she was searching for my eyes. In a few seconds, as she always did, we simply looked right in each other's eyes, and I simply lost myself in hers. At this game, she always wins, so I eventually gave up.

"**And what did Polyussica said?" **

"**Nothing special" **

I frowned.

"**Nothing special? You can hardly use your powers and you completely passed out in the middle of the battle, and that is "nothing special"?" **

"**Juvia's not sick" **

"**Then how do you explain that? Heat?" **

She looked up a bit at the sky and shrugged her shoulders, searching for words:

"**Well… No… Er… Juvia **_**has**_** something, but she's not sick" **

She insistently looked at me, as if she meant to make me understand who knows what.

"**Something?" **

"**Yes**_**, something**_**… Inside of her" **

I kept quiet a bit. Then I frowned, thinking the best I could as I felt she hoped I'd be more perceptive. Then I finally got it: a pure illumination.

"**You mean**_** that**_** something?" **

She nodded in a smile, putting her hand on her belly.

"**Yes, **_**that **_**something" **

I started laughing, a sort of nervous laugh: I had never had a similar one before. I passed my hand on my mouth, then in my hair, clueless. She also laughed, in a light and clear burst which rang in that so beautiful night, tears to her eyes: she was definitely moved. This laughter stayed engraved in my mind, and just as the day I saw her walking down the aisle, I found her sublime. She was this kind of rare and precious beauty which makes you feel like the luckiest man on earth. And if this night she just had few drops in the corner of her eyes, as for me, I cried. I cried laughing, without realizing it, of joy.

This dark and anxious day turned in the twinkling of an eye into one of my most precious memories. She had this power on me: turn mud into gold, and make out the anxious man I was, a happy man. I held her tight in my arms, before whispering almost inaudibly:

"**I love you" **

I hardly ever said it, which made it all the more exceptional and sincere. I had struggled to tell her at the beginning of our relationship. My eyes were already expressing it, and she said it was fine. But I knew she would have loved to hear it more often.

The first time I told her, I did it without realizing it, half-asleep on our bed as I contemplated her naked body with envy. I barely whispered it, but she jumped right away, euphorically, asking me to repeat.

I always said it whispering, because I was always embarrassed, and because I wanted only her to hear it. I had whispered it in her ear when we made our wedding vows. And I whispered those little words once again as she made me the happiest man on earth.

This day, a new little being added to my many worries. But he had changed my mind, just as Juvia did before. Instead of getting away from those I could have loved, I had decided to protect those I loved.

And the least I can say is that growing up, Silver brought me as much joy as anxiety. It's also that he is such a ball of energy, just like his mom.

I'd say that Silver is a fine mix up between us two. Besides his eyes, he had taken from his mom this immense and cheerful smile which I struggled so much to scold. He was as carefree and lively as her, as passionate too. From me, and I am a little ashamed to admit it, he took the pride. That kid was in that sense my spitting image. He cannot stand being seen crying, and does not want, at all price, expose his weaknesses. I was and am still a bit like this, I've got to admit. All in all, seeing this boy, I see me as a child: grumpy, proud and stubborn. But he is much less like this than I used to be, and that is good. Silver is also very jolly and sociable. He also looks like a true little leader, and naturally attracts other children to him. He made a lot of little friends among the children who were recently born at the guild.

When I describe him, I'm also glad to say that we don't look alike so much. I was so scared he might become like me: cold, sour, wary. I put so much effort each day into not making him going through all I went through as a kid, all of these childhood trauma I still kept as an adult. I did my best to protect him from misfortune, because his smile, his light and sweet laugh which reminded me so much his mother, meant too much to me.

Yet Silver, a daredevil just like me -I guess he really only took my faults- scared me more than once. He had quickly been an agitated and curious kid, who wanted to see everything, know everything, touch everything with his little chubby hands. He regularly went out of his cradle, was unable to stand still, and we spent sometimes entire days chasing after him. Each day was more exhausting than the one before, and we were often surprised at the guild, Juvia or myself, half-asleep on a bench. To be honest, with all the love I have for him, I have to say that he turned us crazy more than once.

And he sure was obstinate and impatient. I remember the day I wanted to teach him how to go cycling. I saw him fall a lot of times, without much surprise. He wasn't five yet, and I thought he was too young. Nonetheless, that didn't stop him. He looks so much like me, that's true. He had scratches from side to side of his body, and tears to his eyes, but refused to cry, and went back up on the seat to try again and fall again. At the end, I had to pull him the cycle out to tell him it wasn't a big deal, and that he would make it someday. But he couldn't hear it, he was relentless, and profoundly sad to go back home after a defeat.

I wanted to talk about it that night, but he then simply answered with his child words:

"**It's just… at the guild, everyone's so strong, I have never seen anyone crying. And you and Mom are so super brave and super powerful…"**

He hesitated a bit before adding, sheepish:

"… **I don't want to embarrass you…"**

I opened my eyes wide. I would have never thought such a fear would be the one of a kid that young. Especially as he was so far from the truth: I couldn't be more proud to gave such a son.

I disheveled his hair while laughing:

"**You don't embarrass us kiddo! It's fine to fall and cry, it happens to everyone, including Mom and Dad!"**

He swiftly shook his hand and crossed his arm, not wanting to believe it:

"_**That**_** is not possible"**

"**If I tell you so"**

"**But I never saw you!"**

"**Because we never cried in front of you**" I replied softly.

He kept quiet, in deep thoughts: it still seemed unthinkable to him. It's that he admired us so much his mom and me. Among other things, he loved my magic, thing that surprised me a lot.

I remember a day he couldn't sleep. He wouldn't stop crying, Juvia wasn't here and I didn't know anymore what to do to calm him down. In desperation, I started creating some ice forms to entertain him. It was nothing spectacular: stars, a little bear… What went through my head. But his eyes started shining, and as he didn't speak yet, he babbled enthusiastically agitating his tiny hands.

My magic always seemed to me so ordinary, my shapes lacked of grace, and I was incapable at making birds and animals in movement like Lyon. Still he was fascinated by my powers, as if it was some pure miracle. He often asked me to make some shapes, always greater, always more surprising. And for his beautiful eyes, I applied myself the best I could, to watch his face lighting up and his smile stretched up from an ear to another.

On the other hand, I think I have never been more proud than the day he manifested his first powers. It wasn't much, anyone would have missed it, but these tiny snowflakes he agitated at the end of his little chubby fingers had for us something extraordinary. Juvia and I were mesmerized, and I burst in the guild as proud as a peacock to shout out the great news to whoever who'd like to hear it. I remember boasting at Natsu on the pretext that my son had manifested his powers before his daughter, Nashi, ten months older than Silver.

Nothing had changed between us two at the end, no matter our new responsibilities, or that fight which seems so far and so absurd now on. We had the same quarrels and stupid rivalries as we did ten or even twenty years earlier. This is also why Natsu, the one I never admit too loud being my best friend, became as an evidence my son's godfather.

Natsu, though I remained skeptical on the role model he could represent, had on Silver -gotta admit- a quit positive impact. I so often watched him laugh or play joyfully around him that I couldn't say anything. At the most, being jealous. He told him various adventures we had had, punctuating them with large gestures, a kick in the air or several flames. I would have preferred he omitted some stories, like all of those where the city ended up burning and where the employer kicked us out by way of some garden fork or a gun. Well, those ones made laugh Silver a lot, and he applauded with strength each times. But I feared especially all the ideas it could give him after that.

In my back also, I knew it, Natsu told him all sorts of things Juvia or I didn't tell him. Sometimes, Silver wouldn't wait ten minutes before asking enthusiastically whether it was true or not. And sometimes, when I asked him what "Uncle Natsu" had told him, he put his finger in front of his mouth in a mischievous way before exclaiming "**Secret!"**

Silver also loved spending time with Erza whom he considered very strong, or with Levy, with who he was glad to learn a lot of things, or even with Gadjeel, though he found having too much piercing ("those shiny and noisy things on his head" if I recall his words). Overall Silver loved more than anything else going to the guild, whatever the weather: on windy, snowy, or particularly warm days, or even when it rained.

In Magnolia, rain wasn't unusual, and sometimes it could rain buckets. It was often due to weather, but sometimes, not as often as one could think, Juvia was the cause. In these cases, it was even more complicated to explain to Silver that I could not see his buddies, and that he had to stay at home.

From time to time, Juvia felt indeed down, thing she hid therefore with difficulty. Sometimes it was just about a sad movie, or the failure of a mission, or even an argument we could have had and sometimes she simply started thinking over the past, which made her feel melancholic, especially on her parent's death anniversary. It was and had always been uncontrollable, everyone knew it, me more than anyone else. We have never been mad at her nonetheless for it. But she always apologized every time anyway, although she couldn't help it. Therefore it is easy to imagine how much guilt she felt when she heard her son complaining about the rain. All of this ended up generally in long conversations where she deplored among other things being a bad mom -very wrongly.

We argued so many times on that subject. I was mad she could have in mind such a thing. She was so little confident of herself, and barely realized how far from the truth it could be. Juvia had always had for instance some highly developed maternal instinct while I always had been so clumsy and clueless. If she was usually already nice and patient, she was at least ten times more with her dear son who she habitually called "her little marvel". Saying she was proud of her son would be an euphemism: he certainly is the person she loves the most on earth. And well, to be honest, I don't really mind being the second.

She tells him each night a different story, and stretches her imagination to find another one more surprising and captivating than the former one. She always take great care in all his meals, and listens carefully each of his little victories, and does her best to transmit him all her values. The woman I am now proud to call "my wife" is sweet, loving and -very- protective. I know she's not perfect, but I hardly imagine how she could do better.

Juvia always did her best in everything she has ever engaged herself into: to integrate in the guild or to win my heart; she always gave all her soul. All of this explains easily the pain she would feel when she heard her son complaining about rain. It sounded like a failure to her. It brought her back to a very depressing past in the orphanage where those obnoxious kids avoided or blamed her. That's why I decided a day to intervene:

"**You know, rain isn't so bad…"**

"**But it's sad…"**

"**No it's not sad at all"** I replied a bit embarrassed, looking at his mother "**It's water, just like Mommy"**

The argument seemed to him sufficiently valid to make him look up, so I pursued;

"**See, Mom sometimes can't control her powers, and so it rains. It's not always for that. But for example today it is. It's not her fault, she's born like this"**

I did not judged necessary to add that rain was the result of her mood, Juvia wouldn't have wanted her son to know she was sad. Yet, what I told him seemed to have made him think, and he suddenly exclaimed:

"**So Mom is **_**so**_** strong that she makes it rain?"**

I looked up at Juvia, raising an eyebrow while smiling slightly. She was indeed very surprised, her eyes wide opened. Then she formed a light and moved smile, and I answered:

"**That's pretty much the idea, yes"**

He wasn't sad anymore at all, but overexcited, and begun to ask loads of question. Could she provoke rain whenever she wanted? Did she have to agitate her nose like in _Bewitched_? (Juvia had shown him the movie not even a week earlier) Till where did her rain go? Did it go through the seas? Was she therefore a god? (She laughed a lot at this one) Where did rain even come from? Will he be able to do it someday? And so on and so forth… Juvia was so overwhelmed by his questions and applied so carefully to answer each of them that she didn't right away noticed her sadness disappeared and the sky became clear again.

Since that day, Juvia calls Silver "her ray of sunshine", and I lost my title.

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What did you think? Leave a comment (or a fav) if you liked it, and tell me especially if my writing in English is okay or if the story was sufficiently pleasant 😊

See you!


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